Bubble Bath of the Hands and Soul

Author: Laura Mc Donnell

I know a woman who loves to wash the dishes. Her husband has often offered to buy her a dishwasher but she won't hear of it. The dishes are left to build up throughout the day and after every meal are brought into the kitchen to be arranged in order beside the sink. When supper is finished, she sends her small chil

I know a woman who loves to wash the dishes. Her husband has often offered to buy her a dishwasher but she won’t hear of it. The dishes are left to build up throughout the day and after every meal are brought into the kitchen to be arranged in order beside the sink. When supper is finished, she sends her small children bustling up the stairs to get ready for bed. Her husband dozes in front of the telly and the house finally becomes quiet. She fills the sink with hot, steaming water and her shoulders begin to relax as she listens to the splashing sound it makes when hitting the cold stainless steel bottom. While it begins to fill, she squeezes green syrupy washing-up liquid into the water and watches as the bubbles start to foam and grow. The scent of apple blossom fills the air and she slowly turns off the taps. A sigh of contentment leaves her lips when she gently lowers her hands into the deliciously warm suds. The reflection looking back at her from the kitchen window is happy and with each plate scrubbed clean and each glass made to sparkle, the image she watches seems to flicker and change, as she imagines what life might have been like. Her mind takes her on journeys far away, sometimes she’s a famous singer and other times she lives alone in the country, contentedly painting masterpieces. In this place there sparkle with a thousand dreams. When the last piece of cutlery has been washed she pulls the plug from the sink. The used, greasy water swirls its way down the drain, taking her fantasy with it. She turns the light off in the kitchen and climbs the stairs to kiss her sleeping cherubs goodnight. With her half hour of daily indulgence over she cuddles up to her husband on the couch and watches someone else’s fantasies being played out on the little screen in front of her.